The Avengers Holiday Specials
by Sgt.Pepperony
Summary: Three shorts following the Avengers as they navigate having a huge extended family around the holidays. [Part 3 of Storms and Rubble]
1. Halloween

**Title:** The Avengers Holiday Specials **  
** **Author:** Sgt. Pepperony  
 **Fandom:** Avengers (MCU)  
 **Pairings:** Steve/Wanda, Tony/Pepper, Sam/Darcy, Pietro/Daisy, Clint/Laura  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the Avengers, characters. Property of Marvel and Disney.

 **A year in the life of the Avengers as they go through the holidays from Halloween to Christmas.**

 **Firstly, a Halloween powercut leaves the group looking for things to do, while Pietro and Bucky are stuck babysitting.**

The One with the Halloween Blackout

"Pietro, are you sure you and Bucky are cool taking Joey out for trick-or-treat?" Wanda asked as she coated her lips in a light pink lipstick. She turned to her twin to see him dressed as Frankenstein's monster holding his toddler nephew, who was dressed like a mini Igor.

"Look, you more than ever are going to need some time away from babies before you have no life," Pietro commented. Wanda gave a glare. "I'm just saying three babies are going to be a lot."

"No kidding." Wanda looked down at her slightly protruding stomach. She had come up with the genius costume of a moon and stars, with her stomach acting as the moon. It was at least more comfortable than any of the store maternity costumes she saw. "Anyway, you know his bedtime is seven thirty, so he has to go down then, or he will be awake the whole night."

"I know. I know. Just relax. We'll be back before Joey's evening bottle."

"Good. So what are your plans?"

" _Sharknado 6_." Wanda shook her head. "What would you recommend then?"

"I just can't believe they made six movies out of this."

"Well, it is so stupid that it works."

"Can't we watch that _IT_ film that came out last year?" Bucky asked as he came out his room dressed as Doctor Frankenstein.

"No," Pietro snapped.

"He hates clowns," Wanda explained.

"I don't hate clowns."

"Ronald McDonald gives you the creeps."

"That's just common sense."

"Hey, we ready Wanda?" Steve asked walking down the stairs dressed in a suit.

"Who are you meant to be?" Bucky asked. Steve grabbed some fake vampire teeth. "Really?"

"I have not had time. I just got back from London."

"You could have at least added some fake blood around your mouth," Pietro added.

"Oh, here." Wanda grabbed a tub of fake blood and dabbed a little around Steve's mouth. "There better."

"Thanks, doll. You ready to go?"

"Yes. Okay, boys behave. No clown movies."

"I have no protests," Pietro commented.

-o-

"Peeled grapes?" Tony asked as he looked at the punch that Pepper had just put in front of him.

"Meant to be a good sub for eyeballs," Pepper explained. "I also had to put black food colouring into chocolate pudding to make it look like earth for those zombie pudding pots."

"Is there anything that sounds appealing?"

"Halloween coloured peanut M&Ms?"

"That'll do." Tony then stole the bowl of green, orange and brown peanut candies and moved away from the snack table.

Pepper snorted, and she put the alcohol-free jello-shots down. She looked up and saw Natasha only wearing cat ears. "I take it that you just found whatever was laying around."

"Pepper, I have only had four hours of sleep. I would have had more if Wilson did not sound like a fog horn on the plane back from London."

"Don't you usually play Russian ballet music?"

"I left my phone in the hotel. They are sending it over."

"Why don't you get some sleep before the party."

"I've functioned on seventy-two hours without sleep before. Have to when you are a trained assassin. So is the sexy nurse for everyone's benefit?"

Pepper looked down at her costume and shrugged. "It was either this or trying to dress like you."

"Yeah. Only I can pull off those industry standard fake leather costumes that pinch in all the wrong areas."

"Punch?"

"Yes please." After a taste, Natasha asked, "No vodka?"

"Given that half of us are not drinking, it seemed pointless doing two batches."

"Ooh sugar," someone commented behind Natasha. Before Natasha could comment, Wanda was stuffing her face with chocolate pudding. "I take it that the healthy pregnancy thing is off."

"It was never on," Wanda replied, though slightly muffled since she had a mouth full of pudding. "I can't help it. Yoghurt covered pretzels, chocolate, ice cream, salted caramel popcorn. I have to have something sweet."

"I swear we had a whole tub of cookie dough ice cream yesterday," Steve commented behind Wanda.

"To be fair, Joey helped. I thought you were putting out Halloween peanut M&Ms."

"Tony has them," Pepper replied. Wanda went to find Tony at once. "Hi, by the way."

Pepper was then interrupted when Sam came walking up dressed as The Mad Hatter. Beside him was Darcy dressed as Alice. Sam did not seem too impressed.

"Nice hat," Steve commented.

"He at least put in some effort," Darcy retorted.

"He had no choice by the looks of it," Natasha murmured into her punch. "What are you supposed to be anyway Rogers?" Steve pulled out the fake teeth. "Ah."

"When is everyone getting here?" Darcy asked.

"Soon. Banner is in the lift."

"Well, there is no alcohol in the punch so at least we won't get sued," Natasha commented.

"Cheers to that," Steve added as he sipped the punch, only to nearly choke on a peeled grape.

-o-

"Right, the ankle-biter is asleep. Ready for the film?" Pietro asked Bucky as they convened in the living room, Bucky holding a bowl of popcorn.

"When you are." Both sat down on the couch, Pietro put the television on, only it was not quite Sharknado 6. "What?"

" _IT_? Really?"

"What is it with you and clowns?"

"It's nothing. Clowns are just creepy."

"Creepy is one thing. You seem to have a pathological fear of clowns."

"Look at that thing!" Pietro exclaimed as he pointed at Pennywise the Dancing Clown. "Would you not find clowns unsettling after seeing this?"

"It's a movie. This is exactly what happened when I took Steve to see Dracula when we were thirteen. He at least got over it." Just as it got a particularly frightening, the TV and the lights went out, and then a cry could be heard from upstairs. "God I hope that is just a fuse."

-o-

"Not a fuse," Tony explained as he got back from the fuse box. "The whole city seems to be out."

"I know, Pietro just called asking about the fuse box," Steve answered. "Bit spooky."

"That a blackout happens on Halloween? That's just a coincidence."

"What do we do now?"

"Entertain ourselves. It used to be more fun when I drank. Why do I feel like we have forgotten something?"

Steve thought about it and raised his eyebrows sharply. "Natasha said that Banner was in the lift." Immediately, the two ran towards the lifts to see what number floor Bruce could be on.

"I need to get into shape," Tony commented as he held his stomach.

"Is there a way to trick the elevator into working?"

"No. We have to pull the doors open."

"What's going on?" Pepper asked.

"Banner's stuck in the elevator," Tony answered. "And we have no idea how to get it working again."

"He's also on the ninety-second floor," Steve added.

"That's not so bad."

"Says the guy who said he needed to get back into shape."

"How we going to do this? Open this door and pull it up."

"Or you could just go down to the ninety-second floor, pull the doors open and let Bruce out," Pepper chastised.

Tony grumbled something about Pepper sucking the fun out of it before she glared at him. It took fifteen minutes, but the two emerged with Bruce, who seemed confused more than anything. Wanda was about to comment about how pale Bruce looked before she realised it was makeup.

"Thought I could try to pull off the Adams Family look," he explained. "Looks like the whole of Manhattan is out."

"And Brooklyn," Wanda added. "Pietro and Bucky are stuck without power. Which means Joey's Elmo nightlight has gone out."

"That's a bad thing?" Bruce asked.

"He's going through a bit of a phase."

"What does a one-year-old have to be scared of?" Sam questioned.

"Well, in his own words: 'Munts'. I think it is meant to be monsters. I blame Pietro for leaving Monster Squad on when Joey was in the room."

"And yet he can't sit through _IT_?" Natasha asked.

"When we were kids, there was a funfair that came to Novi Grad, and there was a House of Mirrors. Pietro got trapped in there with a clown. He has had a pathological fear of clowns since."

"Is that why he can't watch _The Dark Knight_?" Sam queried.

"You have to admit that The Joker was unsettling," Pepper pointed out. Sam nodded in a way that told Pepper she had a point. "So what now?"

"We can't do much until the power comes back on," Tony replied. "No way anyone can leave if the streetlights have gone."

"Right, let's go find some candles," Darcy instructed. "You know this is sort of perfect."

"Yeah, nothing like a party with no power."

-o-

"I told you it was a bad idea to sit him in front of that movie," Bucky commented as he handed Pietro a rusk.

"I thought he was napping," Pietro responded as he gave his nephew the rusk.

"There has to be something that we can substitute for a nightlight."

"No. It does not sing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'. He may be one, but he is not stupid."

"So what now? We can't exactly stick the television on for him."

"I admire how your solution is to stick him in front of the screen. Though my mother always said that Baywatch soothed me." Bucky looked blank. "I'll get Sam to explain it to you."

"I just think that television really benefitted you."

"Are you trying to insult me?"

"I was not the one who scarred Joey for life."

"He's one. He'll forget about it in a week."

"You're a walking example –"

"I was seven!"

"Teven," Joey repeated.

"See, even Joey understands." All of a sudden, there was knock at the door. "What was that?"

"Where does Steve keep the baseball bat?"

"By the stairs." The two crept towards the door, Bucky holding the bat while Pietro had a protective hold over Joey. "On the count of three: one, two, three." Bucky swung the door open, only for Pietro to exclaim, "Daisy?"

"I did not realise I knocked so hard," she commented as Bucky lowered the bat. "Lights out here too?"

"Across Brooklyn and Manhattan," Bucky answered. "Steve and Wanda are at a party in the tower."

"Queens is out too," Daisy added. "Sounds like someone has drilled through the electrical mains."

"You drove all the way from Queens?" Pietro asked.

"I was heading for a Halloween party with Fitz and Simmons when my power went out."

"Again, you drove from Queens?"

"It's only fifteen minutes. Luckily, most people have more common sense than I do."

"So what now? It's not like we can put the television on," Bucky commented.

"Sing. Charades. Retell the story of _Star Wars_ , but with all of our friends as characters."

"Can I be Luke then?" Pietro asked.

-o-

"You know, there are some benefits of a blackout," Steve commented as he handed a plate of food to Wanda. "No one can see you grab the good stuff."

Wanda smiled as she took a bite of the brownie, "What happened to the shoving healthy crap down my throat?"

"It's a holiday. You feeling okay?"

"Me? Not too bad. Twins are not being too rambunctious."

"You can feel them?"

"A little. It's not kicks, but I get the odd butterflies like I had with Joey."

"You'd think with it being twins, you would feel them moving around like fish all the time." Wanda chuckled a little. "Maybe next year we should skip the Halloween party and watch movies."

"Deal, because I will more than likely be too exhausted to do anything else. Babies will be teething by this time next year, and if Joey was bad enough, imagine two of him."

"Maybe they will be blonde and with blue eyes."

"Blonde hair is a recessive gene Steve, and all babies have blue eyes. Pietro's used to be so blue that people wondered if we were actually related. I always had green. Green is also a dominant gene, so essentially, my genes trump yours."

"I knew I should not have let you take a GED."

"You find me sexy when I say smart things though," Wanda smirked and leaned in for a kiss. Steve met her halfway. "That said, we still have the anomaly test next week. As if the potential twin-to-twin transfusion wasn't scary enough."

"They'll be fine. With our abilities, I don't think there are any medical issues."

"You can't know that for certain."

"And even if they do, would you love them any less?"

"No."

"Exactly, so relax. Can't get your blood pressure spiking."

"Well, last week it was normal. The doctors have my notes, so they know what to look out for. I can't deal with two more weeks of bed rest. Is there still some of those spider cookies?"

-o-

"Don't tell Wanda, but I have a secret stash of ice cream," Pietro commented as he went into the back of the frozen vegetable drawer and pulled out a tub of salted caramel cookie ice cream. "Her insane sugar cravings have made it impossible to get a share of ice cream."

"Hey, she's carrying twins. She's allowed to be a sugar monster," Daisy retorted.

"There is a line though."

"She devoured a load of waffles when we were watching Cabin in the Woods the other night," Bucky added. "Granted Steve has tried to push her on the healthy side."

"She does not need to be a diabetic risk as well as a pre-eclampsia risk."

"I suppose you guys have a point," Daisy nodded as she took a bite of ice cream. "She's lucky to have the three of you look out for her."

"We all look out for each other. Have done since we were kids."

-o-

With nothing else to do but wait until the power came back on, the only activity that anyone in the tower could come up with was spooky stories. 'Never Have I Ever' only really worked with alcohol according to Natasha, at which Pepper, Darcy and Wanda agreed. Sam told his story first since he had the more overactive imagination. "But when she produced a knife from her tattered garments—the knife with a silver blade that they had last seen in the hands of Mad Henry— the gleam of satisfaction in Rachel's eyes told them that the streaks of blood that coated the knife were those of Mad Henry. That night, Rachel died in her sleep with a peaceful smile upon her ravaged face." Sam looked around at everyone's face, which rather than terror, looked more confused. "Really?"*

"It was the last sentence," Bruce explained. "If You left it at 'coated the knife were those of Mad Henry' then we'd get it."

"You guys take things way too seriously for people who have seen some weird shit."

"I think the weird shit has desensitised us to anything spooky," Tony commented.

"Game over then," Darcy muttered. "You know we could play hide and seek."

"What are we five?"

"Actually, it is not a bad idea," Pepper interrupted. "It passes the time at least and the dark makes it more interesting."

"And there are loads of places to hide," Wanda added.

"Fine, I'll go first to count. One hundred elephants," Natasha volunteered. "And don't you all go and hide on the ground floor."

"You kidding? Walking down all those stairs will probably send me into premature labour."

Natasha covered her eyes and began counting, "One elephant. Two elephants. Three elephants."

The rest of the group scampered to get up and find a hiding spot. Wanda found a spot behind the bar while Steve shut himself in the closet. Bruce crawled under one of the sofas, realising that it probably was not the most comfortable place to hide. Darcy elected for the door leading to the stairs, whereas Sam took the risk of hiding in the toilet. Tony and Pepper made the smart decision to go onto the floor below and hide on Clint's floor, Tony hiding in a laundry basket (thankfully free of any dirty clothes) while Pepper took the en-suite bathroom.

After a minute and a half, Natasha was down to her last three elephants, "Ninety-seven elephants. Ninety-eight elephants. Ninety-nine elephants. One hundred elephants. Ready or not, here I come." She walked around the coffee table before shouting: "Wanda, you're behind the bar. Rogers, come out of the closet. Banner, I can feel you breathing on my leg. Sam, out of the bathroom and Darcy, that door was wide open a minute ago." Sam and Darcy grumbled as they walked back towards the couch. Steve helped Wanda up from behind the bar before helping Bruce from under the couch. "I never thought I would say this, but Stark and Pepper can at least be quiet."

"Clint's laundry basket and his en-suite bathroom," Wanda told her bitterly. Natasha came back five minutes later with the Starks muttering something about mind-reading abilities. "Twenty questions anyone?"

"You'll only read our minds," Pepper responded.

"I did not read your minds. You two are just a little predictable."

Wanda's point was proven later when she guessed it was Genie from Aladdin on the sticky note. It was then Bruce's turn.

"Am I a man?" he asked.

"Yes," Sam answered.

"Am I the Jolly Green Giant?"

"No," Tony responded, sounding quite offended.

"Am I Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde?"

"Yes." Bruce rolled his eyes as he took the post-it off his forehead. "Cap, your turn."

"Am I the Yeti?"

"Right, Tony, you are not allowed to give people characters anymore," Natasha instructed. She took hers off her head and looked at the note. "Anastasia really?"

"She had a good Disney movie."

"For the last time Tony, Anastasia was not a Disney movie. It was a Don Bluth film," Pepper told him firmly.

"Let me guess, Jessica Rabbit?" Darcy asked taking her note off, which confirmed her suspicion

"At least you did not get Flight of the Concordes," Sam responded. All of a sudden, the lights flashed on, startling the group. "At last, light."

-o-

"Wanda usually has a trick to get him to sleep. Unfortunately, I have not got that trick," Pietro commented as he tried to bounce Joey back to sleep for the fifth time that night.

"Magic?" Daisy asked.

"No. Pacifier. She's trying to wean him off them. He's nearly two after all."

"How does he feel about the new babies?"

"No sure. He's interested in Wanda's stomach, though he's not quite sure why it's getting bigger."

"That sounds so cute."

"It does look a little cute I guess."

"Do you ever want kids?"

"One day I guess. I haven't really had much chance to get out and meet women since I started walking again. I guess I just get worried that a woman would freak out when she sees the legs." Pietro lifted up the hem of his jeans, exposing the Stark Industries robotic exoskeleton that helped him walk. "They have suggested surgery to replace all the bones including my pelvis with this sort of technology, but it's far too risky."

"I think if you can survive having bullets shot through most of your major organs then you could survive that."

"Maybe, but I used to have nightmares about having my whole body being torn open and everything being ripped out."

"What sort of cheese were you eating?"

"No cheese. I just have bizarre dreams. We had a tortoise when we were kids, and I once had a dream that his shell smashed open and he turned into a snake. He died not long after."

"Have you ever considered therapy?" Pietro chuckled until he noticed the drool on his shoulder. Joey had finally fallen asleep. "There we go. You have the magic touch."

"I think he's just exhausted himself out." Pietro put Joey in the toddler bed. "All we have to do is wait for the lights to come back on."

"No, I think you got him to sleep."

"Well, thanks for having some faith in my abilities. I can run faster than the speed of light and get toddlers to fall asleep."

"There you go. An extra role for you in the Avengers. I'll tell Coulson tomorrow."

Pietro chuckled. Daisy gave a faint smile in response. There was an air of silence for a moment before Pietro took the plunge. Only before he could kiss her, the lights came back on, startling Joey awake. Pietro grumbled as he proceeded to use his second most significant power.

Half an hour later, Wanda and Steve arrived home just as Pietro came down. He complained, "I can't believe it has taken me the best part of three and a half hours to put him back to sleep. Next time, leave the pacifier."

"I did not know that the power would cut," Wanda replied. "Did you at least keep yourselves entertained?"

"Daisy came over," Bucky answered with a smirk on his face. Pietro gave him a look that questioned why he was smirking.

"She drove over from Queens?" Steve asked. "In the dark?"

"Adrenaline junkie?"

"Anyway, I am going to bed," Wanda announced as she began to climb the stairs.

"So, anything interesting happened tonight?"

"Nothing that Pietro can't tell you," Bucky answered.

Steve looked very confused before shaking his head. "I'm heading up as well. Night guys."

"Night," they both responded simultaneously.

Pietro looked back at Bucky and asked, "How much did you see?"

"I saw you leaning in. Romantic. In a blackout and in a toddler's bedroom."

"Shut up," Pietro muttered.

"Well, I'm finishing _It._ Joining in?" Pietro threw a pillow at Bucky. "Hey."

* * *

 **Sam's story copyright of _Spooky Massachusetts: Tales Of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, And Other Local Lore._**

 **Next time: Pepper wants everyone out of the way while she and Laura cook Thanksgiving dinner, so Wanda comes up with a scavenger hunt for everyone to do for a couple hours.**


	2. Thanksgiving

The One with the Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt

"Listen, Tony; this is no offence to you. However, I would like to cook without you getting in the way and eating half the food," Pepper told Tony as she cut off the ends of yams.

"That should be a compliment," Tony retorted.

"We also have to feed sixteen people. If you pick at the food, all Nathaniel and Joey are going to eat are two pieces of carrots."

"To be fair, one of them has only just got his teeth." Pepper glared. "What do you expect me to do for three hours?"

"I don't know. Watch the football game?"

"With a bunch of guys who are not interested in football? Except for Clint."

"Someone mention my name?" Clint announced as he walked into the kitchen.

"Pep wants me out the kitchen."

"And Clint," Pepper added.

"What did I do?" Clint asked offended.

"Laura tells me that you are just as bad as Tony when it comes to picking at Thanksgiving food." Clint scoffed until he thought about it and then titled his head that Tony knew was Clint agreeing that his wife had a point. "Listen, Wanda has come up with an idea on how to keep everyone occupied while we cook."

-o-

"It's a scavenger hunt," Wanda explained. Everyone looked at her blankly. "Look a bit more enthusiastic; I spent hours yesterday coming up with clues and hiding them all over Manhattan."

"You mean we have to leave the building?" Clint asked.

"Well, the further away you are from the kitchen the more food everyone gets. The thing you have to find is a gold coin, and there are six clues to find the coin."

"Six clues should not be hard," Bucky commented.

"You forgot the part when she said that the clues were across Manhattan," Sam pointed out. "We may need cars or the subway."

"Sam, if I can do it with two babies pushed against my pelvis then you should have no problems."

"How many teams?" Darcy asked.

"Well, there is nine of you, so thee teams of three," Wanda answered.

"Shotgun Rogers," Tony announced.

"Am I car?" Steve responded.

"I knew this would happen, so I drew names out of a hat, so it was fair," Wanda interrupted. "Incidentally, Tony you are with Steve, and Natasha." Sam, Pietro and Bucky formed the second team while Darcy, Bruce and Clint formed the third.

"Do we get team names?" Bruce asked sarcastically.

"That's your choice boys," Wanda replied. "Right, here is your first clue. I need you to go into separate rooms, so it's fair." Wanda handed Steve, Bruce and Pietro three boxes each and the groups scattered to find a room to work out the first clue. "Right, just me and the television. Best Thanksgiving ever."

-o-

It was a jigsaw puzzle.

"Your wife has too much time on her hands Rogers," Natasha commented as she, Steve and Tony began spreading the pieces out.

"What do you expect her to do? Knit?" Tony asked as he managed to find two pieces that matched.

"Isn't that what pregnant women usually do?"

"Are you two sure you have met my wife?" Steve asked. "Nat, I think you have a piece that matches this." Natasha handed a piece over. "She could be having five babies, and she would fight off a horde of aliens."

"True. Look at how she handled those bank robbers."

"I helped," Tony pointed out. "After she took them out."

In one of the other rooms, Darcy was aggressively putting pieces together as Bruce and Clint sat back, not sure whether to be scared if they dared began to help.

"Are you two going to help or am I doing all this myself?" she asked sharply.

"Yeah," Clint answered with uncertainty. He and Bruce began to put together some pieces, albeit nervously.

"Do you have any siblings Darcy?" Bruce asked.

"Three brothers. Why?" she confirmed shortly.

"Just curious," Clint responded. He grimaced as Darcy slapped his hand away from a piece she was aiming. "Lot of competition then?"

"Hmm."

In the third room, Sam and Bucky could only look on as Pietro managed to complete half the puzzle in less than a minute.

"You know I think we may be able to win here," Sam commented.

"Doesn't that count as cheating?"

"Rogers's team has an assassin, and the other has a guy who can turn into a green monster. I think we're all on the same level."

"Got it!" Pietro announced. "It's the S.H.I.E.L.D building."

"Let's go," Bucky ordered as the three scrambled out the room.

It turns out the other teams had worked it out as they began to rush out the rooms, nearly causing a mass stampede by the front door.

"One at a time, we're not small people," Natasha pointed out.

"Besides ladies first," Darcy added.

"I'll believe you are a lady when you take your nails out of my shoulder," Tony argued.

Eventually, Natasha managed to break through, and she ran to the lift. Bruce managed to crawl through a gap and headed for the elevator, but Natasha had forced the doors to close. Pietro had managed to speed down the stairs. Darcy elbowed Steve in the ribs and broke free, while Tony pushed Clint down in order to follow.

"Sam, your girlfriend needs to chill her beans," Steve commented rubbing his side.

"ROGERS MOVE YOUR ASS!" Tony yelled.

The urgency returned, and Steve and Bucky made a run, and the enhanced powers left Sam to roll his eyes. "Come on, no fair you two."

"I'm on your team birdbrain," Bucky retorted.

-o-

Phil Coulson was enjoying the peace of the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters lobby. Most of the employees were taking the day off for Thanksgiving, while some (namely those who did not have any family obligations) were working because espionage and world-saving took no holidays. Only that peace was about the be disturbed.

"Hurry up you two," Natasha yelled as she, Tony and Steve ran into the lobby. "Right, where could she have put that clue?"

"She has her own office," Steve pointed out.

"She's not that obvious," Tony argued.

"Can I ask why you three are here and not at home with your families?" Coulson asked.

"Scavenger Hunt," Natasha replied. "We're trying to find the next clue, and it's in this building somewhere. Where else would she have the entry privileges? Think, what would blue get you into?"

"Anywhere but R&D, your office, mine and Rogers's office-"

"Not quite," Steve interrupted, his cheeks turning pink. "She can get into mine. Being next of kin."

"You sure that is the only reason?" Tony asked. Steve went bright red. "It's worth a shot."

As soon as they ran to the elevators, the other two teams came in.

"Damn, they must have worked it out," Sam commented.

"They had Natasha's car; it has an emergency siren. Hence why they could get through the traffic," Bruce replied.

"Right, Coulson, where is the clue?" Darcy asked, bordering on the tone of a drill sergeant.

"Wanda's office," Coulson replied, not willing the risk of being tasered.

Pietro had begun to speed up the stairs to his twin's office; only he was stopped in his tracks when he knocked a woman over.

"Sorry. Should have looked before I tried to run," Pietro said as he helped the woman up.

"Usual occurrence?" the woman commented. Pietro went the shade of beetroot when he saw it was Daisy he had knocked over.

"Oh God, Daisy… I'm so sorry." Behind him, Sam and Bucky were doing an abysmal job of hiding their laughter. "You okay?"

"Nothing broken. What's going on? Is there another alien attack?"

"No. My sister arranged this scavenger hunt…"

"Is that why she was in my office yesterday?"

"Your office?" Clint asked.

Immediately, everyone but Pietro ran to the elevators. At that point, Sam and Bucky had to drag him away, with Bucky saying, "Come on loverboy."

In the meantime, Natasha and Tony had begun ransacking all of Steve's drawers while Steve was carefully trying to look for the clue without damaging anything.

"Any luck?" Natasha asked.

"Not on my end," Tony answered. "Hey Rogers, are your twins meant to be top and tailing?"

"Yeah, the doctor said that was normal," Steve answered. "Why?"

"There was something about this ultrasound picture that looks off."

Steve went over to look at the picture and squinted hard. Thankfully, his enhanced sight made it easier to spot if anything was different. "No. It looks fine."

"Damn it. Where is that clue?"

"Ah ha," Natasha announced holding up a gold envelope. "Got it." She ripped it open and pulled the card out. "Riddle me this: The Angels Take Manhattan."

"What the hell?"

"I've heard the phrase before."

"You sure she did not mean the Muppets Take Manhattan?"

"No, I think it's something else," Steve replied.

"Angels. Manhattan. Angels. Manhattan. Angels. Statues," Natasha proclaimed.

"What?"

"Banner is trying to get me to watch some episodes of Doctor Who. One of the episodes is called 'The Angels Take Manhattan'. It's the Statue of Liberty, that is where the next clue is."

"I'm not even going to ask but let's go," Steve ordered. Just as they left the office, they came face to face with the other teams. "How long did it take you to work it out?"

"Work out where the clue was? Daisy said that the clue was in her office," Sam answered. Pietro hit him in the shoulder. "Ow, what was that for?"

"Giving away where the clue was," Pietro answered.

"Huh," Tony commented. "Is she letting you into the office?"

"Don't all these keys work on colour cleared offices?" Bucky asked. Steve closed his office and smirked at the group. "The clue is in there."

"See ya," Natasha said quickly as the three of them rushed away.

"CHEATS!" Darcy yelled.

"How are we going to get in?" Bruce questioned.

"Right, stand back," Clint ordered. He ran to the door and smashed his shoulder. "Ow – mother -"

"And now you have bruised your shoulder blade."

"Gee, how 'bout I throw you out the window and release the big guy?"

"Right stand back," Darcy ordered as he took out what looked like a taser gun.

"I don't think the S.H.I.E.L.D are dumb enough that a security lock would react to a taser," Sam remarked. Darcy shot the taser, and it shocked the lock, causing a click in the lock. "You want a Nobel Prize?"

The pushed the door open and found the card lying on the desk. The group read the clue. Sam, Bucky and Pietro looked confused, while Bruce immediately got it, and his team walked out the room, Clint still rubbing his shoulder.

"I don't get it," Bucky stated.

"I say we tag their team," Sam suggested.

"I like that plan," Pietro agreed.

-o-

"Statue of Liberty. The first thing my parents saw when they docked in 1910," Steve told Natasha and Tony.

"I saw the Washington Monument," Natasha replied. "Right, where would a clue be on a giant statue?"

"I think your wife is trying to make our lives harder," Tony commented to Steve. "She's telling us the broad location but not where it would be."

"I think she wants to keep us out of the apartment."

"Until New Year?"

"Point."

"Hold on," Steve interrupted. "We have company."

"I knew it would take him five seconds," Natasha commented as she turned to see Bruce's team pull up. "Nerd."

"Oh please, you clearly got the answer," Bruce retorted. "Which is more than I can say for these guys." At that point, Sam's car parked behind Clint's car. "You know you have to use your brain for this right?"

"Why do that when we have you guys?" Sam answered. Steve rolled his eyes. "Does anyone know where the clue may be around here?"

"Beats me. Wanda never was the most helpful person with these games," Pietro answered. "She would always give the broad location but never the actual place."

"Right, I suggest we split up because one use is surely going to find it on this island," Clint said.

"Better plan than nothing," Bucky replied.

"Right, we take east, Banner takes west, and Roadrunner takes north," Tony instructed.

The groups split in the directions. It took twenty minutes before anyone spotted the next clue, and it happened to be by the tourist stand. A gold envelope.

"Right, let's read it," Darcy barked. Clint did so as quickly as possible in order not to be killed, and as soon as she read the clue, Darcy instructed, "Move let's go."

"Jesus, I was in the army, and I am sure the drill sergeant was less intimidating than you," Clint commented.

-o-

"Something smells great," Wanda observed as she waddled into the kitchen. "How long until dinner?"

"About an hour," Laura answered. "Take it that the TV has gone to crap."

"Football has taken over."

"At least the boys are not here. Where did you send them?" Pepper asked.

"Um, if they use their brains correctly, they should be looking for clue five by now."

"I can't believe that you came up with a scavenger hunt. What is even the prize?"

"The satisfaction they have not wasted a whole Thanksgiving waiting for food?"

"Point," Laura agreed. "How are the kids doing?"

"Joey and Nate are having a nap, and Cooper and Lila are watching the football. I even managed to set up the table."

"Maybe next year, we just get them tickets to a baseball game.

"Basketball. Baseball goes on too long, and they'll miss dinner," Pepper suggested. "Wanda, did you bring those pies?"

"You mean the one thing I can cook for Thanksgiving? In the fridge. That's assuming that the guys have any space after this spread."

"Trust me, Clint will have space," Laura insisted.

"As will Tony," Pepper added.

"Yeah, I can say for certain that Steve and Pietro will need second," Wanda conceded.

-o-

"HANDS OFF ANASTASIA!" Darcy screamed as she and Natasha tugged at the final envelope.

"DON'T CALL ME ANATASIA!" Natasha yelled back, using all the strength she had to pull the envelope towards her.

"You two are going to rip it and then what?" Clint pointed out.

"You do know if they rip it in two then we will still be able to read it," Bruce chastised. Clint turned to glare at him. Bruce then turned to look at Tony and Steve. "You two going to stop them?"

"Not a chance," Tony retorted.

"No way," Steve replied simultaneously. Just then, Natasha and Darcy were knocked down, and Pietro had the envelope in his hand. Only when he tried to run away, Steve had grabbed the neck of his brother-in-law's shirt. "Nice move." Tony then took the envelope from Pietro, who was muttering something in Sokovian. "What does it say?"

"It's a picture of what looks to be a very similar couch to the one at my place."

Ten minutes later, Wanda was setting down some of the sides when she heard yelling coming from the sitting room. Curious, she went to see what the commotion was about and saw Natasha, Sam and Darcy throwing the sofa cushions about looking for the coin, while Tony could only look on as though he knew Pepper was going to freak.

"Where is it?" Darcy asked as she shoved Natasha out of the way.

At that point, Bucky found something by his feet. He said, "Um, I take it this means we win."

Wanda could not help but laugh at Natasha and Darcy's faces as it dawned on them that they lost. Sam and Pietro were in the process of gloating while the men on Natasha and Darcy's teams stood back, fearing for their lives.

"Dinner will be ready in five minutes," Wanda informed. "And I would tidy before Pepper sees."

Once the food arrived, the scavenger hunt was almost forgotten since running around the city worked up an appetite. Sam still had a look of glee on his face, and Pietro and Bucky looked proud of themselves. The kids seemed to be eating together okay, with Joey using his hands a means to eat his dinner, thus resulting with sweet potato around his mouth.

"Well, aside from the massive bruise on my rib, I think today was fun," Clint commented.

"Was it?" Darcy asked grimly.

"Next year, we'll give you an activity that won't cause so many injuries," Laura insisted. "Though clearly, this method means less wasted food. I think I know what everyone is thankful for."

"I'm just thankful that Barnes noticed the coin on the floor," Sam commented.

"Sam, you are just rubbing the salt in the wounds," Natasha replied.

"You have nothing planned for Christmas do you?" Steve asked Wanda.

"Not unless you fancy a trip to the North Pole."


	3. Christmas

The One with Christmas in the Airport

"Why did we agree to go to Clint's farm again?" Sam asked as he pushed the trolley that held his and Darcy's suitcases to the check-in desk. They were flying from John F. Kennedy Airport to O'Hare International Airport to make a connection flight for Waterloo Regional Airport. "It's Iowa."

"It's a rota system, so we are not just in the same place for every holiday," Bucky answered.

"I know that, but it's Christmas Eve. Why did we agree to go on a flight on Christmas Eve?"

"Saving the world does not give us the whole season off. Just be thankful that New Year is out ours."

"Can Christmas be at yours next year?"

"No," Pietro answered. "We have 4th July."

"Who has Thanksgiving?"

"You."

"Fancy a swap?"

"No. We all agreed to take one holiday and rotate it. That way Wanda, Laura and Pepper do not cook Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner every single year."

"Speaking of your sister, where is she?"

"Guys, slow down. I have a heavy load to carry, remember," Wanda complained as she waddled as fast as she could. She was not carrying anything in her arms, but her belly was enormous by this point.

"We did offer to give you a lift on the trolley," Pietro pointed out.

"I can still walk, I just can't do it quickly. Let's just hope check-in is not rammed." Unfortunately, Wanda's hope was dashed when she saw the large queue at the check-in desk. Who knew that so many New Yorkers used to live in Chicago. "I knew we were cut for time."

"I knew we should have drove," Pietro responded.

"A seventeen-hour drive with a toddler and a pregnant woman?"

"Point. Come on, sit down on my case before you collapse." Wanda sighed as she took a seat on Pietro's suitcase. "Where's Steve anyway?"

"Getting some magazines and trying to get Joey to sleep."

"So is Darcy," Sam commented.

"And Daisy," Pietro added.

"Well, by the sound of it, we are going to have a library with us," Bucky noted.

Fifteen minutes later, they finally got to the check-in desk, where the attendant checked their passports and checked their bags in. Since Steve, Joey, Darcy and Daisy were a few people behind they waited until they were through. Then there was security, and then they finally got to the departure lounge. Tony, Pepper, Natasha and Bruce were already there.

"Shouldn't you have been here an hour ago?" Tony asked.

"Tony, just don't," Wanda said shortly as she sat down. "And that includes any hormonal jokes." Steve gently handed her a bar of chocolate. "Thanks."

" _Passengers for American Airlines Flight 2270 to O'Hare International Airport, we regret to inform you that your flight is delayed by three hours._ "

At that point, everyone groaned.

-o-

"Last minute Christmas shopping?" Daisy asked Pietro when she found him looking at the duty-free.

"No. I got everything. Bored. I swear being stuck in a hospital bed was less tedious than this," Pietro answered.

"Fair point. Thanks for inviting me. I would have ended up spending Christmas with Fitz and Simmons, which can be the same as being a third wheel."

"Trust me I get it. Before Bucky came home, I was sitting next to Steve sucking face with my sister."

"Yeah, I can't say that I understand that feeling."

"Not fun."

"Well, maybe now you won't feel like the third wheel."

"Nor will I feel like I am the live-in babysitter."

In the meantime, Bucky, Tony, Steve, Sam and Bruce had struck up a game of Cheat to pass the time. Wanda, Pepper, Darcy and Natasha had decided to take turns with all the magazines that Steve had bought. Joey had fallen asleep in the stroller.

"Two tens," Sam announced as he put two cards down. He looked around to see if anyone would protest.

"Three aces," Bruce said, putting his cards down.

"Cheat!" Tony objected. Steve turned the cards over, and it revealed that Bruce had put down one ace, a three and an eight. "Ha!"

"Alright, alright," Bruce muttered as he took the pile of cards.

"Hey, Steve listen to this one: apparently you are having an affair with Natasha," Wanda commented trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the article she was reading.

"I swear if I had a dollar for every time Rogers and I were having an affair, I would be a rich woman," Natasha replied.

"Well according to my magazine, Tony and I are having a marriage crisis," Pepper told. "If anyone believes it, these journalists need to consider a career change and write trashy romance novels."

"Hey, as a fan of trashy romance novels, they do have standards," Darcy retorted.

"Do you have any in your bag?" Wanda asked.

"Sure." Darcy went into her bag and pulled out three books with what looked to be stock images on the front cover. "I got a Historical Fiction, Spice or Blaze." Bucky and Steve looked at one another, confused as to what the last two were. "The last two have some really mucky stuff."

"I'll take Spice," Natasha offered. Darcy gave Natasha one of the books. "Vanilla*. Nice."

"From the sound of it, Historical Fiction has a plot. I'll take that," Wanda said.

At that point, Natasha's IPad began ringing, and she opened up to see Clint calling them. When she answered, she said, "No, we are not on a plane yet."

" _Well I can see that_ ," Clint replied. " _I take it you guys are bored out of your minds._ "

Well, I have some hot and steamy romance to read."

"It sounds very festive," Bruce commented. Natasha flipped the IPad around so everyone else could see Clint. "How's the family?"

" _Well, Laura is brining the turkey. Some recipe she found by some posh British woman._ "

"Sounds great," Steve replied, not sure what brining a turkey can do. "Well, we still have two and a half hours until we can board to Chicago."

" _You guys have fun. I'm going to enjoy some Christmas cookies._ "

"Bragger," Bucky muttered.

-o-

"Does this count as the worst Christmas ever?" Darcy asked as she leaned her chin on her knees.

"Well, considering that I spent twelve Christmases on the streets…" Wanda began.

"I spent Christmas two years ago in a drunken coma," Tony added.

"Yeah, Christmas in the Red Room was full of Christmas cheer," Natasha continued.

"I spent pretty much five Christmases in the hospital as a kid," Steve contributed.

"I don't even remember the majority of my Christmases," Bucky finished.

"Huh?" Darcy noted. "Okay, turns out that I have had a very normal life."

"Is this including tasering Thor?" Bruce asked.

"We thought he was a crazy hobo." At that point, Daisy started chuckling to herself. "What?"

"You shot the God of Thunder with a taser," Daisy replied. "You have to admit that is pretty funny."

"Actually, that is pretty funny. So, best Christmases then. Mine was the year that my mother got me a bike."

"Honestly, the best Christmas I can remember was when Mum managed to get a decent sized turkey," Pietro added. "And Dad made Wanda and me some toys."

"I had a doll," Wanda remembered. "And you had a car."

"Um… best Christmas was 1984," Tony said. "Dad actually spent time with us."

"Honestly," Steve began, "This might be the best Christmas."

Natasha and Sam looked around and questioned, "Really?"

"This is really the first Christmas where we are all together. No one is in hiding; no one is fighting with one another. We may be stuck in an airport, but it could be far worse as we have all pointed out."

"Sap," Bucky commented, though he did give a small smile.

-o-

"I-Spy with my little eye, something beginning with M," Natasha began.

"Mac Cosmetic stand," Pietro answered.

"Yes."

"We need a new game," Steve muttered.

"I'm hungry," Bruce announced.

"Me too," Tony added. "There's an Asian buffet place across the lounge."

"I'm in," Sam agreed.

"Yes, food," Daisy added as everyone got up with the bags.

"Where are we going?" Wanda asked when she and Pepper came back to the group.

"Asian buffet," Steve answered, lifting three heavy suitcases in one hand.

"Show off," Sam muttered.

"Food sounds so good right now," Pepper replied.

Surprisingly, they were able to find a table that could fit all of them and the bags. Joey was propped up in a high chair while Wanda fed him some vegetables and a bit of chicken, while Steve had gone to get her some food.

"Are you even allowed sushi when pregnant?" Darcy asked.

"I think it depends on the fish," Wanda replied. "I don't even like sushi anyway."

Sam laughed, "I remember when you tried it the first time. One bite and you spat it out. I have a photo of it."

"I wasn't cheap sushi either," Natasha added.

"I think I was good with my teppanyaki," Wanda retorted. "Speaking of which... Thanks, Steve."

Steve has gotten her a bowl of ginger chicken udon and what looked to be grilled duck ramen for himself. "No problem Doll," he said pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"So, any names yet?" Darcy asked.

"Well, we know they're both girls. However, it's trying to find a combination we like."

"It's not like we have had any helpful suggestions," Wanda commented, her head turning towards Tony.

"What I suggested was perfectly sensible," Tony responded.

"Mary-Kate and Ashley were not sensible names," Pepper remarked.

"We have three months to decide a name," Steve interrupted. "We have some ideas."

"We're not doing the veto thing are we?" Daisy asked.

"No because we spent most of last week listening to them vetoing suggestions," Bucky answered.

"So what is on your list?" Bruce asked digging into his sushi.

"I have Melina, Rose, Natalia, Tiena and Sofia with an f," Wanda answered.

"Lilly, Aofie, Hannah, Adeen and Evelyn," Steve added.

"That is a lot of deciding," Daisy commented.

"Try being in the middle," Pietro commented. "I voted Tiena after our grandmother."

"And Aofie was Steve's," Wanda responded. "Maybe they could be their middle names."

"At last, a compromise," Bucky muttered.

-o-

"On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree," a group of carol singers sang from across the lounge.

"At least they are halfway through," Natasha muttered.

"I'm guessing it passes the time," Sam responded. "Twelve verses, which get longer and longer."

"If the sands of time will not get rid of this song, then it's never going anywhere," Bucky added.

"Reminds me of the time Tony dated a woman who was not just obsessed with Christmas to the point she still believed in Santa," Pepper laughed.

"What?" Bruce asked eager to hear this story.

"She was a cooking teacher because I was trying to prove a point, and then around Christmas Eve she decorated the whole house like Santa's Grotto. Cue Pepper standing outside the front door with a smug smile on her face," Tony began, "and she said to me…"

"I heard this thing about nesting. Some women were meant to be magpies, and others were hummingbirds. Tony had landed himself a partridge in a pear tree," Pepper finished.

"And the Santa Claus thing?" Wanda questioned.

Pepper broke out laughing a little, at which Tony glared at her. He answered, "Come bedtime Christmas Eve, she realises that she hasn't put the cookies out for Santa. I then tell her I'll do it."

"Instead he calls me, asking if he could crash at my place because his girlfriend is clinically insane," Pepper finished. "I knew that the second she went ballistic at me for misplacing an ordainment."

"I'm just curious what point Tony was trying to prove," Steve imputed.

"Have you ever had one of his omelettes?" Pepper asked.

"Point taken."

-o-

The carolers had moved from 'Twelve Days of Christmas' to 'Good King Wenceslas' with the group taking guesses on the next carol.

"Bring me flesh and bring me wine, Bring me pine logs hither, Thou and I will see him dine When we bear him thither."

"I think it's going to be 'Holy and the Ivy'," Daisy imputed.

"Nah. Has to be 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen'," Bucky replied.

"I need to pee," Wanda announced as he pushed herself out the chair. Once she was out of the way, the game resumed.

"What about 'O Little Town of Bethlehem'?" Sam added.

"'Jingle Bells'," Darcy contributed bluntly. "It will always come down to 'Jingle Bells'."

" _American Airlines Flight 2270 to O'Hare International Airport is ready for boarding_."

"Finally," Pietro muttered in relief. "Let's go because they will be antsy to get going."

Despite the massive queue that had formed at the boarding desk, the group managed to get onto the plane rather quickly. First Class at least had space for them to stash everything, while Joey's stroller was checked at the gate.

"Passengers, please take your seats as the doors will be closing in one minute," the air stewardess announced over the speakers.

"Wanda, do you have Joey's bottle?" Steve asked, though when he turned to the aisle seat, his wife was not there. "Where did Wanda go?"

"Didn't she say she was going to the bathroom?" Tony asked. It then suddenly occurred to him and Steve that they had walked onto the plane without Wanda. "Hold the doors!"

After arguing with the air stewardess, Steve managed to get a hold of Wanda, and she got onto the plane as fast as she could move.

"Now that the last passengers have boarded," the air stewardess commented as she glared at and Wanda, Tony and Steve, "we can now depart. Please pay attention to the safety demonstrations."

"I gave her fifty bucks," Tony retorted.

-o-

"Well, we waited for three hours in New York, what is another hour and a half?" Steve tried to justify when they read the departures board at O'Hare International.

"My sanity," Sam answered bluntly.

"The layover would have been an hour and a half anyway," Bucky replied.

"I'm starving," Pietro complained.

"We're having ham as soon as we get to the farm," Wanda pointed out. "Here, have a candy bar."

"Why did we not bring the travel Monopoly?" Tony asked.

"Um…" Pepper began, "the thing is that you are very competitive when it comes to Monopoly. And other board games."

"Yeah, I don't think we need a repeat of the Christmas you would not speak to anyone because you accused us of cheating in Articulate," Bruce imputed.

"That was the most peaceful Christmas we ever had," Natasha commented.

"In his defence, I don't think saying he's a sponge and his name is Bob is part of the rules for Articulate," Darcy interrupted.

"Reminds me of the time May nearly decapitated us for not getting her drawing in Pictionary," Daisy added.

"Well, I have finished with my book if anyone wants to borrow," Natasha announced

With Wanda opting for the Blaze book and Natasha reading the Historical Fiction, everyone else had taken up a very apprehensive game of Charades, with the theme being Christmas songs. It was Pietro's turn at the moment.

He held up four fingers, causing Sam to shout out, "Four words."

Pietro nodded, and held up three then four fingers. This time, Bruce suggested, "Third and fourth word."

Pietro then held his right arm up while his left arm bent like he was holding something between his hip and his arm.

"Heil Hitler?" Bucky asked confused. Pietro dropped his arms and looked at Bucky like he had lost his mind. "It was not an unusual sight in Germany 1943."

"Hold on, do the pose again," Pepper ordered. Pietro resumed the position, and something clicked in Pepper's brain. "Statue of Liberty – FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK!"

"Too obvious," Tony commented.

"Okay smartass, why don't you do one?" Darcy retorted.

Tony grumbled as he got up and took Pietro's place. However, before he could even start there was an announcement:

" _American Flight 79746 to Waterloo Regional (ALO) is now ready for boarding._ "

"Wait, is that ours?" Steve asked.

"Can't be, they said it was an hour and a half," Daisy responded.

"Hold on, was it ALO?" Natasha asked. "Because there is Waterloo Airport in Iowa and Waterloo in Ontario?"

"No. That was YKF."

"We need to go."

-o-

Two hours, a flight and three cabs later, the group finally arrived at Barton's Homestead. Clint and Cooper had come out of to help with the bags, with Clint commenting, "Good trip?"

"Shut up Barton," Natasha responded.

Inside everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they were greeted by warmth and the smell of ham. Immediately Pietro and Sam made their way to the kitchen.

"Does his stomach always guide him?" Daisy asked.

"I want to say no, however, I am carrying two kids, and I need to eat or else they are not going to sleep," Wanda answered as she moved towards the kitchen.

"I'm with her," Tony added.

Luckily, the four had not devoured the ham before Laura could serve it. Mulled wine was served as was hot cider for those who did not drink. After dinner, everyone lay the presents by the tree and prepared to go to the Nativity performance at the church. Even if only a handful believed in God, it still seemed a more excellent idea than just sitting around. It was Lila and Cooper's school Nativity with Lila playing a sheep while Cooper was one of the three kings.

"We three kings of Orient are. Bearing gifts, we traverse afar: Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star. O Star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright. Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy Perfect Light," the children sang as the kings walked up to the manger that contained a doll.

"We rehearsed using Nate's Barney the Dinosaur," Clint said.

"I think that could be considered blasphemy," Steve responded.

Back at the farm, everyone had one last glass of mulled wine or warm cider before retiring to bed. It was a silent night. The children managed to sleep through the night, meaning that the adults managed to sleep without worry.

* * *

 _The End_

* * *

 ***Yes, that is a genuine Mills and Boon book.**


End file.
